Varathane368033 Less Mess Wood Stain and Applicator, 4 oz, Smoke Gray

Although the “after” is still wet, I am incredibly pleased with the results and ease of the product. I was concerned that the color would not be dark enough to fix this laminate on our tables, but it definitely exceeded my expectations. I hand sanded the tables prior to applying and ensured that it was clean before application.Love that it is an all-in-one product and came out thicker and more pigment than expected. I did apply multiple coats and feel like it will do the job. While wet, it does have sticky texture but worth the value so far! I feel as if our tables are new!

Perfect for small craft projects. The wooden dowel rod from Dollar Tree looks a million times better stained when I'm doing a macrame project. I used Golden Oak and the pic shows one coat. Dries quickly. Very easy to use and clean. I had no issues with application. I highly recommend!

I didn’t want to paint my cabinets, but they looked dull, dried out and I just wanted them to look better. This product was super easy to apply (just like polishing a shoe) & gave them a richer look. After a small banister, 9 cabinet fronts, and 4 drawer faces, the sponge applicator was destroyed. There was plenty of stain left, but no way to get it out. Perhaps I pressed too hard, but you have to press down for the stain to come out. I would still buy again. Leaves cabinets a little sticky until it fully dries.Before (right cabinet done only) & After pictures.

The gray stain is really a nice light color, so layering the stain is completely doable.The sponge applicator was the reason I purchased it. I thought it would be easier on my hands and less messy. The first pass tore the sponge. I ended up working with a detail brush for the small areas. I ended up dumping it into a empty container and using a rag for the rest of the piece. Disappointed in the applicator, but the stain itself is easy to work with.

I have a lovely old rock maple dining set I love. The buffet/server suffered water damage. I sanded down the area and applied this stain. While not like new, it did an amazing job of blending in with the vintage color. The applicator is mess free, unlike stain in a can. For the area I was working with, it worked best to dab it on with the applicator fully wet with stain, and then rub it with the grain. A great value for use on a small area.

Had to stain some wood pieces for a project I'm working on. I basically never work with wood and didn't want to end up buying a bunch of supplies I'd never use again, so this seemed ideal. It was not. Honest to gosh, I cannot imagine a possible reason to buy or use this product. If someone gave it to me for free I wouldn't use it. Heck, I PAID for the darn thing and went out to buy something else so I wouldn't have to use it anymore! Let me lay out the issues, as I see them:1) The squeeze- You have to CONSTANTLY squeeze it, at almost full muster, for many minutes at a time (depending on the size of your piece). It is physically exhausting using this product.2) The time- It took so much longer than it needed to. I had 7 wooden slats that needed stain applied and it took over an hour to get about halfway to complete. That's not counting the hours of drying between coats. To be fair, I was looking to turn these things black, so it needed quite a bit of coverage, but the application is so ridiculously slow and clumsy.3) The coverage- As I kind of alluded to above, the coverage was not good. At least partially because I had somewhat rough wood and partially because I needed it DARK, but even so, I'd applied 2 coats on each side and still needed at least a couple more.Using this product was so bad, that at this point, 2 coats in and realized I had at least another day of application and drying ahead of me, I just went to the store and bought the smallest can of Minwax liquid penetrating stain they had. I grabbed a cloth, dipped it in the can, and finished these things to perfection in 10 minutes. Easy, peezy, lemon squeezy.There is no possible reality where paying $10 for this "less mess wood stain applicator" and squeezing your forearms into oblivion, applying MANY coats, over the course of days, only to end up with subpar results, is a better option than buying a $10 can of stain, tearing up an old shirt, and finishing the job in 10 minutes, with stellar results. The ONLY possible use case for this product is to recommend to a buddy as a trick to pay them back for a time they wronged you. May gosh have mercy on your soul.

Nice color and applies smoothly

Excellent Quality